Improvement in car-couplings



- J. H. McALVIN.

. Car-Couplings. 5 No. 152,11, 7 Patent edJUne16,18 7-4.

42 w. W new? UNiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. MOALVI'N, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152, 144, dated June 16, 1874; application filed April 11, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OI-IN H. MoALvIN, of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a representation of a section of my car-coupling, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

This invention has relation to railroad car couplers of the self-couplin g kind; and it consists in a vertically-movable couplingpin having a groove formed in its rear side, in combination with a bolt for holding up the pin when it is not desired to effect a coupling, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the annexed drawings, A designates the head of a draw-bar or buffer, in the front end of which a flaring mouth, a, is formed, leading into a receptacle for the link L. B designates the coupling-pin, on the front side of which a flange, B, is formed, having a beveled edge, e, and a vertical edge, 0, corresponding to beveled abutmeuts ff at the front end of the recess, in which the flange is received. The back of pin B has a vertical groove, 1), in it, terminating at its lower end in a rectangular, recess, 2". O designates a horizontal pin or bolt, which is constructed with a collar, 0, near its front end, and a Crank, 0, on its rear end. This bolt 0 is applied in a guide formed on a raised portion, d, of the draw-bar A. When the coupling-pin B is down, as indicated in full lines, Fig. 1, and a link, L, is thrust into the mouth of the draw-bar, the end of this link will strike the front edge e of the flange B, and, by reason of this edge being beveled, raise the pin, and allow it to drop through the link and effect a couplin A draft on the link will have no tendency to raise the pin, inasmuch as the upper edge e of the flange B has a bearing against the vertical abutmentf, as shown in Fig. 1. hen the coupliug-pin B is raised, as indicated in Fig. l in dotted lines, it can be held in this .position by moving forward the bolt (J, the front end of which will enter the recess i at the lower terminus of the vertical groove 1).

It will be seen that I have a very simple coupling-pin, which is self-acting, for coupling cars, and which is adapted for receiving the well-known oblong links; also, that the broad flange B, which is formed on this pin, will prevent it from being bent when subjected to great strain and shocks.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The slot 1) and recess 1', formed in the back of the flanged pin B, in combination with the bolt 0 for holding up the pin, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. MOALVIN.

\Vitnesses:

P. L. PERINE, H. KENNEDY. 

